This
is the name given to a combination of signs/monuments and chokers or
medians that together announce entry to (usually) a residential area.
The choker or median provides a degree of traffic calming while the sign
or monument identifies to the driver that he is entering a residential
area. It also serves to increase civic pride in neighborhoods and
increase residents' sense of ownership.
The
first photo shows an entry monument combined with a build out (or
choker) from both sides of the road.
Curbing
the build out provides an opportunity to minimize the distance the
monuments are set back to meet minimum "clear zone"
requirements. Monuments are often designed by local architects on a pro
bono basis, but "standard" designs can be copied by
neighborhoods without such expertise.
In
my view an entranceway in the middle of the road on a median is more
effective than either side of the road. I have no empirical evidence to
support this, but it is my impression that the median is more noticable
to drivers than something placed on the side of the road. However the
median approach can be more expensive as the road may have to be widened
around it.
The
photo below shows a effective entrance way in the middle of the road.
The
total cost of this entranceway was in excess of $40,000 including all
the civil engineering work, structure, electricity for lighting,
landscaping and irrigation.
I
have also sited "gate houses" on medians on public streets as
an enhanced form of entranceway. The gate house is only psychological
(unless residents want to privatize their roads) and provides no ability
to prevent anyone from entering the area. However residents report
feeling more secure with a "symbolic" gate house in place and
they do accord with Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CEPTED)
principles.
The
photo below shows one such gate house to which automatic gate arms have
been added as an experiment.
This
gate house is on the only road leading into and out of a residential
area, and the gate arms which open to everyone were added as an
experiment. The arms require a full stop before they open and increase
the impression that this is a private neighborhood. They also slow
traffic entering and exiting the neighborhood.
The
neighborhood has signed a maintenance agreement on the gate arms and
there have been a number of cases of the arms being hit and destroyed.
However this neighborhood continues to wish to keep them in place, and
other neighborhoods are asking for the same measure. Gate houses can
cost from $25,000 up and automatic arms are in excess of $10,000.
|